Archive for July, 2016

Egyptian minister of interior Magdy Abdel Ghafar signed a security cooperation agreement with his German counterpart Thomas de Maizière in Berlin, the Egyptian ministry of interior announced Tuesday. The Egyptian interior ministry noted that the two governments signed the agreement that solidifies cooperation in preventing all types of crimes, including terrorism and corruption, as well […]

Algerian President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika reaffirmed Algeria’s readiness to continue to build an exceptional partnership with France, while hailing dense political dialogue between both countries, in a message of congratulations to his French counterpart François Hollande on the occasion of the French National Day.

French President Francois Hollande announced on Wednesday that France would end its military mission in the Central African Republic in October. “Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will go to the Central African Republic in October to officially declare the end of Operation Sangaris,” said Hollande.

The two-month battle for the Islamic State group’s Libyan stronghold of Sirte has killed more than 240 unity government fighters and wounded over 1 400, a medic said on Tuesday. Forces loyal to the UN-backed Government of National Accord began an operation in May to recapture the coastal city which the ISIS jihadists overran in […]

The United Nations peacekeeping chief says the official government death toll of 272, including 33 civilians, in the recent fighting in the capital is likely “only the tip of the iceberg”. Herve Ladsous told the Security Council on Wednesday that while a ceasefire in Juba, the capital, appears to be holding since it was declared […]

ZLibya’s new defence minister is said to have survived a car bomb assassination attempt, One of his guards was wounded by shrapnel. The media office of Mahdi al-Barghathi said on Thursday that the minister came under attack while leaving an army barrack in the eastern city of Benghazi, when a car bomb was detonated on

The Turkish deputy prime minister Numan Kurtulmuş said Monday that Ankara did not take any step to “normalise” relations with Egypt, but it would like to restore bilateral affairs. Kurtulmuş’s declaration comes after Turkey recently improved its relations with both Russia and Israel.

Two Dutch UN peacekeepers were accidently killed and one seriously wounded Wednesday in an explosion in northwest Mali during a training exercise, the Dutch defence ministry said. “During the accident, two of our men lost their lives,” said The Netherlands’ Vice Chief of Defence, Vice Admiral Rob Bauer. “Another 23-year-old soldier was seriously wounded,” Bauer […]

General Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army has taken control of the city of Ajdabiya east of Sirte, Colonel Fawzi el Mansouri told broadcaster Libya’s Channel on Monday. “The security situation in Ajdabiya is under control,” said Col. El Mansouri, adding that militants of the Defend Benghazi Brigades (DBB) were prevented from retaking the city as […]

bya’s UN-backed unity government Monday evening held its first meeting in its new headquarters in Tripoli. The meeting was attended by top government officials, including Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.

China and Algeria on Monday expressed their will to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, visiting Special Representative of Chinese Foreign Minister Wu Sike said. He said his visit aims at exchanging views on ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in political and economic fields and security, including the fight against terrorism. He made […]

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on Monday for an immediate arms embargo against South Sudan in response to an outbreak of heavy fighting that has left hundreds dead. Ban also appealed to the UN Security Council for targeted sanctions against South Sudanese leaders and commanders blocking implementation of a 2015 agreement to end a […]

Three demonstrators were killed in northern Mali on Tuesday, a medical source said, in a protest concentrated on a contentious peace accord that Mali has been struggling to enact. Demonstrators said security forces opened fire when hundreds of young people set off on a banned march in the city of Gao. A hospital source said […]

The United Nations on Tuesday launched a global appeal for $952m to fund Sudan’s humanitarian needs in 2016…most of it to help people affected by the deadly conflict in Darfur. The much delayed appeal expects to address the humanitarian needs of up to 4.6 million people, including tens of thousands of South Sudanese refugees who […]

Many nations have encouraged Libya to cooperate to restore the countries oil production and exports to support the rebuilding of Libya. In a joint statement released on Wednesday, the governments of Germany, France, United Kingdom and the United States, all invited the agreement between Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) head, Mustafa Sanalla, and the NOC […]

The EU mission off the Libyan coast has been extended by the German parliament to comprise measures to dissuade weapon smugglers. However, the opposition argues that the main aim of the missions should be to focus on rescuing the migrants. The German parliament has extended patrols by two naval ships in the EU-led mission “Sophia” […]

The African Union said it plans to pull its soldiers out of Somalia where they are fighting jihadists by December 2020, according to a statement issued Wednesday. The “exit strategy” formulated by the AU’s Peace and Security Council calls for the staggered withdrawal of 22 000 troops in the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to […]

India’s prime minister has kicked off a four-nation African tour on a continent where China’s presence has been strong, including countries that haven’t been visited by an Indian leader in more than three decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip is meant to raise India’s profile in energy, trade and investment. He started Thursday in Mozambique, […]

The United States urged an immediate end to violence in South Sudan on Sunday after fresh clashes left scores dead in the capital, threatening the young nation’s shaky peace deal. The battles are the first between the army and ex-rebels in Juba since rebel leader Riek Machar returned in April to take up the post […]

Eight soldiers were killed when a suicide car bomb targeted a Somalia military training camp and attackers then entered the base on foot, the military said on Monday. The car bomb on Monday morning allowed the fighters to infiltrate the Lanta Buro base in Lower Shabelle region, a military officer, Said Mohamed Adawe said.

Explosions and heavy weapons gunfire are shaking South Sudan’s capital Juba on Monday in the fifth day of clashes between government and opposition forces, raising the spectre of a return to civil war. Widespread shooting preventing residents from moving in the city. A “massive explosion” hit shortly after 09:00 followed by further blasts in the […]

South Sudan’s president ordered a ceasefire Monday after a new day of heavy fighting in the capital Juba that sent thousands of people fleeing and threatened a return to civil war. President Salva Kiir’s ceasefire order on Monday evening raised hopes of an end to days of deadly fighting between the army and ex-rebels. “The […]

The French Major General Patrick Brethous, commander of the Barkhane anti-terror operation, on Wednesday promised to reduce the number of terrorists in Mali, after meeting with the Burkina Faso president in the capital city of Ouagadougou. “Terrorists have taken a big hit during the 2013 Serval operation as they have been stalked thanks to the […]

A detachment of the Algerian People’s National Army has clashed, on Thursday afternoon, with the terrorist G. Mohamed Said in the locality of Bouhalouane (Jijel, 359-km east of Algiers), said the Ministry of National Defence in a communiqué.

The African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) signed a partnership agreement for the African Union Support Programme (AUSP III), which obtained a new co-funding of 51 million Euros. The two sides signed, Wednesday, the AUSP III in the framework of the Steering Committee on the Aide Memoire between the European Commission (EC) and […]

A suicide bombing by a Boko Haram militants has killed 11 people in northern Cameroon, a provincial governor said on Thursday, warning civilians not to breach special security measures aimed at preventing such attacks. It was the latest in a spate of raids blamed on the Nigeria-based militant group in the area, which have driven […]

The UN Security Council on Wednesday decided to strengthen peacekeeping operations in Mali following a spate of attacks targeting blue helmets serving in the UN’s deadliest mission. The council unanimously backed a French-drafted resolution that provides for 2 500 extra troops and police to be deployed in the mission known as Minusma, along with modern […]

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who came to power after a bloody crackdown on political Islamists, called on Wednesday for religious reforms to counter extremists in a speech to Muslim clerics. Sisi has often warned that Islamist extremism presents a vital threat to the region, which he suggested lags in development and women’s rights. Not […]

Egypt’s military said six soldiers were killed in clashes with armed smugglers near the country’s western border with Libya on Thursday. The soldiers were patrolling the border when they “came under surprise fire” from the smugglers, a military statement said, adding that a number of smugglers were killed in the exchange of